The recalled product, lot number 24101101, was marketed by Diana Unicharm Joint Stock Company in Hanoi and manufactured by Ifree Beauty Company Limited in Tay Ninh. This issue came to light after a cosmetic sample, collected at T228 Aeon Long Bien Shopping Mall, was tested by the National Institute of Drug Quality Control. The tests confirmed the presence of sodium benzoate, an ingredient that the companies had not declared in the product's official formula.

Sodium benzoate is a common preservative used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Its function is to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast, thereby extending the product's shelf life.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam has instructed local health departments to recall and destroy the non-compliant product batch and to revoke its product announcement registration documents. Businesses selling and using cosmetics must immediately cease selling and using this specific product lot and return it to their suppliers.

Both Diana Unicharm and Ifree Beauty are required to recall and destroy the entire product batch and submit a report to the Drug Administration of Vietnam by 31/1. The companies must also collaborate with their raw material suppliers to review all previously manufactured product batches and initiate further recalls if similar violations are found.

This recall follows a series of recent actions by the Drug Administration of Vietnam to address issues such as undeclared origin goods, poor quality products, counterfeit items, and misleading advertisements. Vietnam's cosmetics market, according to Statista, was estimated at over 2,4 billion USD in 2024, marking a 3,4% increase year-on-year, and is projected to reach 2,7 billion USD by 2027. Currently, imported products account for 90% of the market supply.

By Le Nga